Jyoti Gondek

On October 18, 2021, Jyoti Gondek made history as the first woman and woman of colour to be elected as Mayor of Calgary, Alberta. She ran on a platform of fairness, informed decision making, and collaboration, and promised to take meaningful action towards a more equitable future for all Calgarians. A week later, Jyoti made it clear she wouldn’t shy away from disrupting the status quo to achieve that goal, when she refused to swear in a municipal politician that had been found guilty of sexual misconduct with a 16 year old girl. 

And her first order of business as mayor? Getting the city of Calgary to officially declare a climate emergency, not just to lower greenhouse gas emissions, but also to attract investments and create jobs. So she’s not just Calgary’s first racialized woman mayor — she’s a leader using her power to make tangible progress towards equity.