First-time Airdrie city council candidate Mo Fahad Shaukat says the city’s rapid expansion can’t come at the expense of basic services, and he’s willing to take unpopular stands to make sure it grows responsibly.
“Population has already reached over 90,000 as of April 2025, it’s expected to climb to more than 130,000 within the next 10 years,” Shaukat said in an Aug. 6 interview with DiscoverAirdrie. “We are well on our way to become one of the largest cities, maybe even the third largest city in Alberta. That kind of growth isn’t just fast. It’s transformative.”
According to the City of Airdrie’s 2025 census, the city’s population is 90,044 — a 4.9 per cent increase from the previous year. A population forecast released in April 2024 projects 135,792 residents by 2034.
Growth and infrastructure
Shaukat said responsible growth means ensuring that transit, routes, schools, healthcare and affordable housing are in place before approving new neighbourhoods.
“I’d be willing to delay some developments until those supports are locked in. It might not be a popular position and might not be a proper [sic] decision, but it’s necessary if you want a city that actually works for the people that are living in it.”
He added he would have opposed any residential development without a confirmed plan for those basic services.
“Growth without a support structure creates frustration. It damages trust. Our city can’t afford to keep chasing development if we don’t have the infrastructure to keep up with it.”
Decision-making under pressure
The retired first responder — with frontline experience in fire services and corrections — and current chair of the Airdrie Police Committee said he would approach a tied council vote like a crisis scene.
“Critical decisions like approving major new developments before transit, roads or community centres are in place, they carry long-term consequences for families and for the safety of the city,” he said. “If my vote is the one that tips the balance, I’ll treat it like a crash situation. That means calmly assessing the risk, staying focused under pressure, and making the decisions that are based on real outcomes, not on optics, not on appearances.”
Public safety and community trust
Citing the City’s 2025 Resident Satisfaction Survey, Shaukat said 71 per cent of residents feel safe in Airdrie, while 68 per cent rate overall quality of life positively.
“There’s concerns with healthcare at 28 per cent, infrastructure and traffic at 32 per cent, recreation amenities at 26 per cent, and other issues,” he said. “Trust in policing is still solid, but trust in bigger municipal pictures seems to be fading.”
As chair of the newly formed Airdrie Police Committee, he said the group meets quarterly in open public sessions.
“We have only had two meetings so far… but not one person has attended this year,” he said. “That’s not about apathy. It’s a sign that we need to do more to make people feel truly welcomed and included.”
Shaukat believes council should share decisions more openly and create easier ways for residents to provide feedback on public safety planning.
“Wednesday morning meeting at nine o’clock, I think that inhibits a lot of people from attending those meetings.”
Bridging perception and statistics
Shaukat acknowledged there may be a gap between official statistics and public perception of safety.
“The stats come from people who have participated in this survey,” he said. “Of course, it would be naive to assume that 100 per cent of the population has participated.”
“The more participation we have, the better picture we have of what residents are thinking,” he said.
He added that crime statistics are compiled by law enforcement agencies.
“Those are the facts, that’s what’s on paper,” he said. “If residents think those are not true stats, then we as council, or we as the city, have to do something about why our residents are feeling a certain way when stats are telling us something different.”
Election challenges
Shaukat said name recognition can be a hurdle for new candidates in a fast-growing city with small-town familiarity.
“I’m sure that is a challenge for everybody, because Airdrie is a small community,” he said. “People know people, and if people are satisfied by the councillors they have, everybody has a right to vote as they wish.”
“That falls on us, on the new ones, trying to enter the arena, to approach people and try to win their vote,” Shaukat said. “That falls on me, where I go and I do the door knocking, and I listen to their concerns and go, ‘You have trusted this person for this long — give me a chance, maybe I’ll be able to handle your concerns a little better.’”
For him, qualifications matter more than familiarity.
“I’m not voting for somebody I know. I’m voting for who is the right person for the job,” he said. “There are a lot of people I know, but they might not be right for the job of a councillor or a mayor.”
Consultation and provincial issues
Shaukat believes council is “missing the mark between consultation and influence.”
“Fewer than half of the residents believe that their opinions make a difference in council decisions,” he said. “I would push for structured, mandatory public input before major changes like rezoning or new infrastructure… it’s not just about asking for opinions, it’s about building a system where those opinions actually shape what happens.”
One of those community priorities, he said, is a hospital — a provincial responsibility under Alberta Health Services.
“We have to educate our residents that a hospital is not a city initiative — it’s provincial,” Shaukat said. “But we need to get ourselves at those tables, in those rooms that talk about healthcare within cities, and get in positions that could influence some decisions at the provincial level.”
Mental health and leadership support
Shaukat, who teaches Justice Studies at the post-secondary level and holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the Royal Military College, said mental health must be a core priority. He also founded the Airdrie-based Alberta-wide chapter of one of the country’s largest peer support networks and supports youth through mentorship roles.
“As a retired first responder and someone who runs one of the largest peer support networks in the country, I’ve seen how essential mental health support is in high-pressure roles,” he said. “People open up when they know confidentiality is real and they’ll be connected to professionals they can trust, and if they need to remain anonymous, that is going to be guaranteed.”
“The city employees are the backbone of Airdrie — when their mental health is supported, the city runs better,” Shaukat said. “Residents get better service. Departments function more efficiently. Morale improves.”
“I’d push for wellness support across every team… and we cannot forget the people in elected roles,” he said. “Peer support gets complicated in politics… but if we want honest, healthy leadership, we need to start talking openly about the pressure and make sure that the support exists.”
Where he draws the line
Shaukat said he would walk away from council if public consultation was bypassed or transparency compromised.
“If council starts bypassing public consultation, forcing developments that strain city services, or shutting down debate with process instead of open conversation, that’s where I draw the line,” he said. “If I feel like the role compromises transparency or my ability to act with integrity, I would step away rather than stay silent.”
Election details
He is among eight people who have submitted nomination papers so far, according to the City of Airdrie’s official election page as of Aug. 11.
Mayor
No candidates have submitted their nominations yet.
Councillor
Simisola Obasan
Tomisin (Tomi) Adenipekun
Chad Stewart
Darrell Belyk
Chris Glass
Rekha Mehay
Jay Raymundo
Mo Fahad Shaukat
Notice of Intent to Run
Joshua Elo
Matthew Kangal
Ron Chapman
Dustin Murray
Maulik Shah
Anthony Morvillo
Shaganpreet S. Sooch
Key voting dates and locations
Advance vote at the Town and Country Centre: Oct. 8, 11, 14 and 16
Advance vote at City Hall (late night): Oct. 6–10, 4:30–10 p.m.
Advance vote at City Hall (early morning): Oct. 14–17, 6:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Election Day: Oct. 20
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