'I definitely regret a lot': Jeromy Farkas takes a hike, talks politics and doing good

Discovering a higher aspiration than politics Jeromy Farkas is a former city councillor and was the runner-up in Calgary's mayoral election, but now he's peaked.

He was a former city councillor and was the runner-up in Calgary's 2021 mayoral election, but now Jeromy Farkas has peaked.

He's more than halfway through his latest charitable endeavour; hiking 25 peaks in 25 days in support of The Alex. Farkas hopes to raise at least $25,000 for the organization, which provides services and support for vulnerable and low income Calgarians.

Between his current challenge and last year's five month, 2,300 kilometre trek across the Pacific Crest Trail for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary, Farkas has had a lot of time to think. He says he spent some of the days on the trails reflecting on his time in politics — and what's next.

"I definitely regret a lot of what I did in my time in public life, but that's absolutely everybody as they walk through life," Farkas said during a hike up Prairie Mountain in Kananaskis.

"I've had to come face-to-face with some really challenging situations and even tackle some things around my own cockiness and ego. So it's been a journey, one where I've been able to grow and to challenge myself," he said.

DOOR NOT CLOSED ON POLITICAL LIFE

Farkas isn't completely closing the door on entering politics again in the future, though he says it certainly won't be in the upcoming provincial election. He says he now believes he may be able to do more good in the community without being a politician.

"It's been a really good personal lesson to me, to know that life is not just politics," Farkas said.

"I think it's really opened my eyes to the fact that you don't necessarily have to agree on the city council vote or politics of the day to be able to help each other out."

The failed bid to become Calgary's mayor "was probably one of the best things that could have happened to me," Farkas confesses.

He admits to sometimes grandstanding while on council and he has votes he wishes he could take back, including being the lone voice against a parental leave policy for councillors.

During the seven kilometre hike up the Kananaskis trail, Farkas reflected on his political loss and accepts that it has shaped how he now views politics — and will shape his decision on whether to return to public office at some point.

"After the election, there was a lot of people that I thought would have been my friends, people I could rely on, and all of a sudden they wouldn't pick up the phone now that I wasn't any use to them," he said.

"It was surprising to see that it was people like former mayor Naheed Nenshi who was the first — not just one of the first, the first — to reach out to me and to try to encourage me to get out, go for coffee, go for a movie, things like that.

"For me it really flipped on its head my view of the world, when I was so wrapped up in that image of myself as a politician, when I realized that, you know, beyond politics there's a lot more to life," Farkas said.