32 Facts About Jeromy Farkas

Jeromy Farkas is a Canadian fundraiser, filmmaker, athlete, columnist, and former politician.

Jeromy Farkas was elected to Calgary City Council in the 2017 municipal election to represent Ward 11 for a four-year term.

Jeromy Farkas ran as a candidate for Calgary mayor in the 2021 municipal election on October 18,2021, placing second to Jyoti Gondek.

Jeromy Farkas currently serves as a political commentator, adventure writer, and social sector CEO.

Jeromy Farkas is credited as "leading the charge" on the successful 2024 campaign to save Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park and the Town of Cochrane from proposed flooding.

Jeromy Farkas was born and raised in the southeast Calgarian neighbourhood of Dover.

Jeromy Farkas's father left communist Hungary in 1956 and settled in Calgary.

From 2013 to 2016, Jeromy Farkas served as a senior fellow specializing in municipal governance at the Manning Foundation for Democratic Education.

Jeromy Farkas was the project lead for the Council Tracker project and website, analyzing data on Council votes to make municipal government more accessible.

Jeromy Farkas expanded the project to other cities throughout Canada, including Toronto, Ottawa, and Hamilton.

In 2015, Jeromy Farkas' team earned first place in the City of Calgary Hackathon, a three-day contest in programming, business modeling and research to create technology-based solutions to improve the lives of Calgarians.

Formerly president of the Wildrose Party's constituency association in Calgary-Elbow, Jeromy Farkas identifies himself as a fiscal conservative and social liberal.

Jeromy Farkas is openly bisexual, which made him Calgary's first openly LGBTQ male city councillor, and played a key role in pushing the Wildrose Party to adopt a more progressive position on LGBTQ issues.

In December 2018, Jeromy Farkas was removed from a council meeting for a Facebook post that claimed that Council salaries would increase in 2019.

In May 2020, Jeromy Farkas was found to have breached the code of conduct for the post.

Jeromy Farkas sought an appeal and review by the retired Supreme Court of Canada Justice John Major.

Justice Major's independent opinion found that Jeromy Farkas did not, in fact, beach the code.

Jeromy Farkas engaged in Council debate on issues such as restricting public transit options, the Midfield trailer park's closure, council compensation and parental leave, the Calgary Green Line, the City of Calgary summer student hiring program, business tax relief, public art, council time spent in closed-door meetings, crime and safety, the failed 2026 Calgary Olympic Bid, and the arena deal.

On September 16,2020, Jeromy Farkas announced his candidacy for mayor in the 2021 Calgary municipal election.

Druh Farrell complained to City Council's integrity watchdog after hearing reports that a flyer from Jeromy Farkas' office, informing the public of an upcoming public hearing, was received outside his ward.

Jeromy Farkas said the mail-out was meant only for homes within Ward 11 boundaries, and if any were delivered outside that area, it was a Canada Post mistake.

On October 18,2021, Jeromy Farkas placed second to Ward 3 councillor Jyoti Gondek.

On December 1,2022, Jeromy Farkas announced that he would not stand as a candidate in the 2023 Alberta general election.

Jeromy Farkas ultimately did not endorse any party in the provincial election.

Jeromy Farkas set a goal of completing the Pacific Crest Trail in as close to 100 days as possible to raise funds in support of youth mentorship.

Jeromy Farkas met and raised fundraising goals twice more, settling on a final target of $125,000.

Jeromy Farkas completed the "humbling" journey in 168 days, returning home on August 30,2022.

On January 10,2023, Jeromy Farkas announced a follow-up fundraiser to scale "25 Peaks in 25 Days" to raise $25,000 in support of The Alex Community Health Centre in Calgary, with the funds directed to mobile healthcare services for marginalized Calgarians and those experiencing homelessness.

Jeromy Farkas posted regular social media updates through the campaign, and faced a variety of terrain, bitter cold and other weather hazards.

On June 7,2023, Jeromy Farkas announced that he was challenging Chief Steve Dongworth to a charity challenge as part of the ninth annual Calgary Fire Department Stairclimb Challenge.

Jeromy Farkas met his fundraising goal of $5,000 in under 24 hours, with proceeds going directly to benefit firefighter support programs and assistance to those battling cancer.

Jeromy Farkas completed the challenge in 17 minutes and 37 seconds, ascending at a rate of more than 3 floors per minute.