Ward 9 Community Leaders
We are the stories we tell ourselves, and this map aims to tells a new story of Ward 9 - one that challenges common assumptions and celebrates the diverse and inspiring people who live, work, and volunteer to make our neighbourhood great.
Illustrated by local artist Jarett Sitter, ‘Who is Ward 9?’ showcases some of our extraordinary community leaders - each nominated by neighbours, coworkers, family, and friends for their generous hearts and passionate commitment to making our communities thrive.
Andrew Phung
Known for his award-winning work on Kim’s Convenience and Run the Burbs, Andrew’s East Calgary roots run deep. A product of Calgary’s amazing school system, incredible neighbours, and hard-working immigrants, he attributes his professional success to his early years working, learning, and acting at Loose Moose Theatre.
Bonny Warbeck
Through her passionate volunteer work with the Ogden Heritage Group, Bonny has helped inventory over 120 heritage assets throughout Millican-Ogden, including their largest project - working to save the Ogden Block, the last large commercial heritage building in the community.
Dan Allard
As the founder of Cold Garden, Dan has been a big part of the exciting transformation happening in Inglewood and Ramsay. A leader in the creation of Gopher Park (an interim park activation on what was once a vacant lot,) Dan’s commitment to placemaking and community service is profound.
Danisha Bhaloo-Shivji
A dedicated volunteer, community speaker, active board member, and past-Chair of the Social Wellbeing Advisory Committee, Denisha has played a pivotal role guiding the City of Calgary on our delivery of equitable services, including removing barriers to access and inclusion.
Darrell Howard
After immigrating to Canada as a child, Darrel has called Dover home for over 20 years. Through her work with the Alex Community Food Centre - a place where people gather to grow, cook, share, and advocate for good food - she’s been able to see firsthand the power of community connection.
Doug McKeag
Doug us passionate about building up and advocating for the arts community in Calgary. In addition to being a notable local actor, he’s also the owner of Bonnyboom – a multi-disciplinary arts venue leading the revitalization of the Bonnybrook industrial area (unofficially being dubbed the Scrap Yard Arts District.)
Eliese Watson
As the owner of ABC Bees, Eliese is a passionate mentor to anyone curious about beekeeping. A resident of Southview, she loves living in a neighbourhood with all her favourite people, while being able to teach about bees in communities throughout Ward 9.
Flora Johnson
Through her work as an Indigenous Community Connector at the Bob Bahan Hub and a Forest Lawn resident herself, Flora is passionate about community building. A celebrated painter and muralist, she is inspired by the diversity, humility, and hard work of the people in her community.
Gar Gar
As the Founder of Youth Empowerment and Skills Centre (Forest Lawn’s first youth centre) and the President of the Forest Lawn Community Association, Gar Gar is committed to building community and finding new ways to support and enhance life for all residents in Greater Forest Lawn.
Hiroko Nakao
Having lived, worked, and volunteered in many capacities throughout her community, Hiroko leads a financial empowerment team, helping to reduce poverty throughout Calgary. She loves the welcoming and friendly nature of her neighbours and the unique charm Renfrew offers.
Karen Begg
A talented visual artist, Karen has initiated many community-based art projects along International Avenue and organized a painting program for seniors to support their mental health. Karen also helped establish a free community pantry, little free library, and seed saving program in Dover.
Kyle Riva
A bright light in the equity, diversity, and inclusion realm, Kyle is a member and advocate for the amputee community and 2SLGBTQIA+ community. He can often be found photographing community events or walking with his French Bulldog, Boswell (the unofficial Mayor of Inglewood.)
Ladyne Voikolo Kala
Ladyne is the creator of the Kitoko Project- a program created to empower Black youth to care for their natural hair and learn braiding skills. She also volunteers as a Peer Advocate at The Alex helping residents navigate and apply for community services, benefits, and income supports.
Lourdes Juan
A leader in Calgary’s food security realm, Lourdes is the co-founder of Fresh Routes and Leftovers Foundation, two agencies working alongside volunteers and local businesses to make food diversion and equitable access a reality in communities throughout Calgary.
Luza + Edison Ceballos
Originally from Columbia, Luza and Edison now call Ogden home. After enrolling their children at the Youth Centres of Calgary (YCC), they began volunteering, hosting seminars on first aid for YCC staff and volunteers, and helping with renovations at YCC's new youth centre in Forest Lawn.
Mohamad Awada
Mohamad moved to Canada a decade ago, and quickly became passionate about housing affordability and creating a welcoming place for newcomers. His love for his community is rooted in diversity, inclusivity, and people coming together to create a vibrant place to call home.
Ngozichukwu Uwaoma
After relocating to Calgary from Nigeria, Ngozi quickly found an inter-connected and diverse community in Manchester. She volunteers her time helping The Mustard Seed and the Lumino community pantry, and leads a kids club offering homework help and a listening-ear for youth in the community.
Rupinder Toor
Dr. Toor is medical doctor passionate about women's health. Her current advocacy through Project EmpowHER is aimed at strengthening families and communities while helping to break the cycle of poverty through awareness and access to reproductive planning and contraceptives.
Sherrisa Celis
A valuable resource for seniors who have recently immigrated to Calgary, Sherrisa offers legal assistance, education services, and information on family reunification to newcomers throughout East Calgary. She is also a passionate advocate against elder abuse and isolation.
Tanveer Kaur
A second-generation Panjabi-Sikh woman, Tanveer is an educator, researcher, and mother driven to compassionately serve her community. Through community building, she is continually working to create an environment of empathy while celebrating diversity as our biggest strength.
Yousef Traya
As the proprietor of Bridgeland Market, Yousef has been a longtime champion of local food, providing retail space to local makers and growers in his market. Through a variety of community events and collaborations, he is helping to build and strengthen neighbourly relationships in Bridgeland.
Yvonne Jobin
In 2009, Yvonne opened Moonstone Creation Native Gallery & Gift Shop as a way to support and promote local Indigenous artists. Over the years, Moonstone Creations has grown, now hosting a variety of classes and workshops, and sharing Indigenous ways of knowing.
Zev Klymochko
Inspired by the multiple generations of families who choose to make Ogden home, Zev is committed to thoughtful city building through his volunteer work with LRT on the Green and the Millican-Ogden Community Association and is a passionate advocate for skateboarding in Calgary.
Sarah Adams
With deep roots in APRH, Sarah is passionate about finding ways to make social equity and sustainability less overwhelming to others. Her advocacy is aimed at making community building more approachable, more welcoming, more feasible, and enabling action.
Ali McMillan
As a long-standing volunteer for the BRCA and a passionate advocate for good planning in Bridgeland, Ali's work has been integral to the abundant vibrancy happening in the community. She is most proud of the collaboration that happened to create Flyover Park and the Bridgeland Hollywood sign.
Sarah MacDonald
Sarah’s community volunteer journey began over ten years ago, helping to launch the Bridgeland-Riverside Farmers Market. Since then, she has taken on various roles with the community association board, working to activate and connect new and established members of the community with the incredible programming happening in the area.
Mary Grace Linton
As the president of the Renfrew community association, Mary Grace aims to create accessible and exciting programming for residents in her community. You may have seen some of her unique LEGO projects featuring notable Renfrew landmarks, including Stanley Jones School and the Stanley Jones Grocery & Deli.
Paul Gill
With an unwavering commitment to his community, Paul is proud to call Renfrew home. Perhaps most notably, Paul played an integral role in the creation of the Renfrew solar carport at TELUS Spark, having championed the project from its inception and witnessing its successful completion last year.
Wendy Walker
Rooted in her culture as a contemporary Indigenous singer-writer and filmmaker, Wendy was nominated for a Calgary Music Awards for her song "And the Children” – a heartfelt tribute to the stolen children of Canada’s Indian Residential Schools. Through her various platforms, Wendy hopes to inspire the next generation of artists.