Tag: zak pashak

Zak Pashak currently lives in Sunalta and has so for the last seven years. In 2003, he opened Broken City, which serves as a live music venue. He is also the founder of Sled Island music festival, which has been a success since its inception in 2007. Pashak has also been named by Alberta Venture as one of the 50 most influential Albertas in 2010.  

Pashak describes himself as an urbanist and believes that Ward 8 Is the best place to live. He owns a business in the ward and has hosted a music festival in and around the ward as well. Through all of this, Pashak believes he has dealt with a lot of people in the ward to give him the understanding and knowledge to serve in Ward 8. 

Pashak believes that there will be some “pretty significant changes” a hundred years from now. He sees a city that will be environmentally sustainable, efficient, and affordable.

“[Calgary will have] a strong small business scene with a lot of great and independent business,” says Pashak.

In Pashak’s opinion, social media is ubiquitous.

“I think that social media has become important in more than just politics,” Pashak says.

For the election, Pashak believes that social media like Twitter and Facebook do help in getting information and delivering counter points to arguments made about city issues. This to Pashak, allows for broader discussion on a variety of topics.

“It’s a way to cut through the mysterious about specific issues,” adds Pashak.

“I like the office of sustainability,” Zak remarked. “There are serious and real efforts being made on the sustainability front.”

According to Pashak, he has seen the city respond positively to Calgarians’ want for a more sustainable city. 

“If everyone needs to drive, we are going to run into roadblocks,” Pashak asserted.

Vibrancy is key to Pashak. He does not believe that candidates need specific platforms for a specific ethnicity. 

“I think a stronger city benefits everyone in the city, whether they are Aboriginal or wealthy people in Mount Royal,” says Pashak. 

Zak believes that the city needs to “make sure citizens feel safe from the actions of other citizens.” 

“I think that you need to be respectful of people’s rights and liberties, and the city should not overstep them,” Pashak explained. “If it’s an ineffective policy, we shouldn’t implement it.”

Pashak also believes that city needs to address underlying issues that have caused the city to bring forth initiatives like CCTVs and the public behavior bylaw. 

“Realistically, if we want to address the problems of homelessness, the question is how do we give these people a hand up?” says Pashak. “One of the best ways to help with that is to have transitional housing.”

Pashak argues that people are going to return into society and that transitional housing can ensure these people can be reintegrated into society. 

Pashak believes that is an important subject matter, and is concerned with the direction that council set in terms of police funding.

 Pashak believes there was a “managerial oversight from council by allowing the police to keep their budget.”

“If my team started a smear campaign against my department, I would look at cuts in that department,” Zak suggested. 

He believes that the police could have looked a variety of places to make cuts, and that it sounded like a threat when the police said they wanted to take police officers off the streets.

“Not allowing the new council to have a say in the police budget was a horrible example of management,” Pashak added. 

Pashak believes the city needs to make people feel proud of their city and to feel safe. 

“Politicians should not try to use fear to get into office,” Pashak says.

Had public consultation been done right for many of these sensitive issues, Pashak believes that communities would “realize that this is exactly what we need in the city.”

This is cross-posted with CalgaryPolitics.com