Calgary mayor recall petition: 72,271 signatures submitted to city

Exactly 60 days after he launched a campaign to recall Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek, Landon Johnston rolled a stack of six boxes in to the Elections Calgary office ahead of the deadline for the petition.

"The mayor should be afraid of the people. All elected officials should be afraid of us, because the power is with us," Johnston said Thursday afternoon, moments after the petition was submitted.

The unofficial total number of signatures handed in was 72,271, Johnston said.

In order for the petition to be deemed sufficient, it needed to exceed 514,284 signatures. The requirement is set out in provincial legislation and the number is based on 40 per cent of the city's 2019 population of 1,285,711.

"It has been a battle from all angles: Weather, legislation, people back stabbing people. It's been a whirlwind," Johnston added.

The petition is now in the city's hands for an official count. The city clerk will lead a team of up to 10 staffers to tally up the numbers over the next 45 days.

The petition is now in the city's hands for an official count. The city clerk will lead a team of up to ten staffers to tally up the numbers over the next 45 days.

Because the threshold will not be met, the city won't need to verify the signatures.

"We will be releasing the number of signatures that were gathered as part of the recall petition, and that count will be provided during a special meeting of council," said city clerk Kate Martin.

Gondek, who met with Johnston last month, said the last 60 days have been no different than any other time during her term.

"You cannot be distracted by something that's going on along the sidelines," Gondek told reporters Thursday morning.

"You have to remain committed to why you ran and I ran to make sure that Calgary would have a prosperous future for everyone."

Despite falling well short of the official threshold, Johnston said he hopes all elected officials are taking notice.

He also hinted at future efforts and campaigns against municipal politicians.

"The fight has just started," he said. "We're gonna push for (Gondek) to resign still.

"She can resign at any time."

According to provincial legislation, a municipal politician may only face one recall effort per term.