Petition launched to recall Calgary-Bow MLA, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides

Alberta’s chief electoral ship's officer has sanctioned a petition application program to call back Demetrios Nicolaides, MLA for Calgary-Bow, who is also the government minister of Education and Childcare.

The application, filed by Calgarian Jennifer Yeremiy, was given a written notice of approval last week and the petition was issued Oct. 23. Under the province’s legislation, Yeremiy will have 90 days to collect 16,006 signatures within the electoral division to make the petition successful. 

This is the first recall petition application approved under the Recall Act, which the United Conservative Party government passed in 2021 and amended this July to lower the threshold for recalls.

Yeremiy's application says she is requesting Nicolaides’ recall because his “record demonstrates a clear failure to support public education."

“Alberta charter-private schools investment is unmatched across Canada. Meanwhile, public education faces: overcrowded classrooms, inappropriate curricula, inadequate resources, and insufficient funding and staff.”

About 51,000 public, separate and francophone school teachers across the province have been on strike since Oct. 6. On Thursday, Premier Danielle Smith announced the government will table back-to-work legislation next week.

An emailed statement from Nicolaides' office said the recall targets the UCP government, not his individual role as MLA.

“A recall of an MLA should not proceed when the stated reason is dissatisfaction with legitimate government policy rather than a failure in the member's core duties,” the statement says.

The statement adds that using the recall process to overturn a democratic election based on policy disagreements “undermines stable governance and the electoral process.”

“Recalls should be reserved for breaches of public trust, ethical violations, or sustained dereliction of local duty, not as a shortcut to trigger a new election over political differences."

Yeremiy, who previously ran as a candidate in Calgary-North West with the Alberta Party, launched the petition as part of a group called AB Resistance.

Nicolaides was re-elected as MLA for Calgary-Bow in 2023, in a close race with NDP candidate Druh Farrell. He secured his seat with 49.3 per cent of the vote, 385 votes ahead of Farrell.

At a press conference on Thursday, opposition leader Naheed Nenshi was asked about the petition, to which he responded with the phrase: “Hoisted on your own petard.”

“This government wrote this legislation. Now they’re in the find-out stage,” he said, adding that Nicolaides’ handling of public education and the current teachers’ strike has not instilled confidence in the public.

To recall Nicolaides, Yeremiy’s petition will require the support of 60 per cent of voters in the electoral district of Calgary-Bow who participated in the last general election. Before legislation was amended, a recall required 40 per cent of eligible voters.

That means Yeremiy will need to collect 16,006 signatures by Jan. 21, 2026. The window to obtain signatures was previously 60 days. That has been extended to 90 with the amendment.

A successful petition will result in a referendum within Calgary-Bow on whether to recall Nicolaides and hold a byelection.

Journalist

With filed from Julian Brown and Janet French

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