My single mother always told me, “Gar, don’t get involved. Keep quiet. Put your head down. Never expect too much.” I know what it’s like to feel unseen and unheard, even when you most need help. Ward 9 has been left in the dark by decision-makers and burdened by political partisanship. Before my father passed, he told me, “You can make something out of nothing.” I understood this when I came to Calgary — living, studying, and working in Ward 9, from Forest Lawn to Dover, Penbrooke to Radisson. I’ve seen hard-working people with big dreams and resilience, but for too many, the housing crisis and economic struggles make it impossible to dream when you’re just fighting to hold on — fighting to afford to stay, for our kids, and for a system that doesn’t hear us.