Author: Vote Calgary

This week, we bring you the second part of our Ward 9 profile. There’s a lot going on in Southeast Calgary’s Ward 9. Read all about the ward’s demographics and Alderman Gian-Carlo Carra in last week’s Ward 9 Part 1 to get up to speed.

What’s Happening in Ward 9?

Mission Road Innovation Project: Arguably one of the most controversial planning projects to be undertaken in Calgary in recent memory , the Mission Road Innovation Project continues to be hotly debated, as residents, land owners and the City butted heads over how Mission Road’s rezoning and redevelopment should be handled. Read some of VoteCalgary’s coverage of this controversial topic here, with recent updates here.

Midfield Mobile Home Park Relocation: City Council is looking to move the citizens of the Midfield Mobile Home Park to the outskirts of Calgary, in order to use the space for a Mixed Use development. Residents of the park and Alderman Carra have been campaigning against this decision, though alternative solutions have yet to be found.

Southeast LRT: The Southeast Transitway (SETWAY), one of two new LRT lines planned for Calgary, still carries too large of a price tag for the City to be able to bring it to life. As funding for the $2 billion project continues to be an issue, City Council is looking for interim solutions, such as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), to alleviate traffic congestion in the southeast.

Alyth Yard: Residents of Ward 9 have been raising concerns regarding the amount of noise and vibrations coming from the CPR train yard in Alyth. An Environmental Monitoring Study is now underway, Phase 1 of a 3-phase study to determine a strategy for dealing with the situation.

To find out more about Calgary’s Ward 9, check out VoteCalgary’s Ward 9 Profile Page. Feel free to make a request for the next Ward Profile, or continue the discussion in the comments. Thanks for reading!

Want to stay up to date as these Ward Profiles are released? Subscribe to our RSS Feed.

This week, we bring you the second part of our Ward 11 profile. Read Ward 11 Part 1 to get up to speed.

What’s Happening in Ward 11?

Elbow Drive Reconstruction: In an effort to revive aging inner city roads, the City of Calgary is wrapping up Phase II of the Elbow Drive Reconstruction project – the first project of the Major Roads Reconstruction Program. Elbow Drive has been under construction for 2 years now, and is moving onto Phase III, with construction soon starting between Sifton Blvd and 4 Street SW.

This week’s ward profile brings us to West Calgary’s Ward 11 and Alderman Brian Pincott.

Ward 11 is home to some popular Calgary features, notably Chinook Centre, the Currie Barracks, The Glenmore Reservoir and Weaselhead Flats, Heritage Park, Mount Royal University and the Rockyview Hospital, to name a few. With so many major amenities, it goes without saying Ward 11 is a busy place.

This week, we bring you the second part of our Ward 4 profile. Read Ward 4 Part 1 to get up to speed.

What’s Happening in Ward 4?

Centre Street Corridor Study: One of Ward 4’s major arteries, Centre Street, was the subject of a recent study to strategize the improvement of traffic along the corridor. While the plans involve the eventual construction of the Centre-North LRT line, interim solutions such as bus lanes and other transit priority measures are being considered for the near future.

First let’s start with some big numbers. Did you know the Residential Construction Industry was responsible for approximately 36,400 jobs in new construction, renovation and related fields last year alone? That makes us one of the largest employers within the Calgary region. Those jobs equate to about $2.2 billion dollars in wages which then further benefits the local economy through increased consumer spending. The majority of those who work in the industry also live in Calgary communities. Many of these individuals contribute to the City’s economic health by owning their own homes, paying property taxes and utility/user fees.

So those who supply the materials, decorate and furnish the interiors, market the products and actually build the condo towers, the new houses and new communities are obviously a positive force in the economy.

What about the new communities themselves? What do they provide? We decided to seek our answers from some trusted sources.

One of the most important things new development provides is ‘choice’. A City of Calgary report, “Calgary & Region Social Outlook 2010-2015”, talks about new communities and their continuing popularity from 2009-2010 even as population growth in the city slowed overall.

Population in the downtown core grew by 1.1 per cent and in the developing communities by 6.7 per cent. While the population in most of the rest of the city declined by 8,489 people, in the developing communities it grew by 14,374. The developing communities thus accounted for 237 per cent of Calgary’s population growth between 2009 and 2010, accommodating not only new growth, but also residents from more established areas who moved to the developing communities. As a result, the share of the city’s population living in the developing communities continued to rise, increasing from 20.2 per cent to 21.5 per cent.

That’s a pretty clear indication that an increasing number of Calgarians have found a lifestyle they prefer in a new community. As the report stated, that encompasses both new residents and those who moved from other neighbourhoods. Without that choice available, would they have stayed in Calgary?

In fact, as Calgary Economic Development looks to woo even more people and businesses to Calgary, the fact that those choices exist is a huge selling feature. According to their website;

Quality of life is easy to find in Calgary. Whether you’re looking for a great suburban neighbourhood to raise a family or want to live the urbanist life in the heart of the city, Calgary has award-winning communities and vibrant spaces…Calgary has both of these lifestyles in its communities, and everything in between.

From a recent City of Edmonton report, “Costs and Revenues for New Areas”, we find some very specific benefits that new communities provide.

The current form of new residential neighbourhood development leads to lower housing prices and more diverse choice in housing. This in turn makes the City more able to maintain and attract a skilled and talented work force. Together with an appropriate supply/expansion of jobs, this creates a double dividend situation in which individuals both reside (paying taxes and spending income) and work (contributing to commercial/industrial taxes and creation of wealth) in Edmonton.

The factors mentioned above play a large role when employers are looking to relocate their offices or expand their current operations. Sometimes it can be easy to get sidetracked by the problems that ‘growth’ in all its forms (economic, population, size) can present but the solution isn’t to end all new development. The benefits new growth provides are simply too great to ignore.

Of course, in the end, we need balance. Sensitive redevelopment of our established neighbourhoods is important. More multi-family, urban development is also a key to future prosperity. Let’s just not forget that over 21 per cent of our citizens today call our brand new communities home and many more will come to Calgary in the hopes of following in their footsteps.

For all the reasons already mentioned, the ability of these new communities to continue to attract new Calgarians truly benefits us all.

This week’s ward profile brings us to North Calgary’s Ward 4 and Alderman Gael MacLeod.

Ward 4 is in the centre of North Calgary, sandwiched between Ward 2 to the west and Ward 3 to the east. It’s home to Nose Hill Park, one of the largest municipal parks in North America. Interestingly, Ward 4 is the only ward in Calgary to have experienced a population reduction in the most recent census.

Ward 4 contains the communities of Beddington Heights, Country Hills, Edgemont, Greenview, Greenview Industrial Park, Hidden Valley, Highland Park, Huntington Hills, MacEwan Glen, North Haven, North Haven Upper, Sandstone Valley and Thorncliffe.

The Alderman | Gael MacLeod

Gael MacLeod has been serving Ward 4 as Alderman since 2010. She has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta and a Master of Business Administration at Royal Roads University. Gael was born in the Maritimes, but has lived in Calgary for over 35 years, including the last 17 in Ward 4’s Sandstone.

Gael came to council with 30 years of experience in the non-profit, government and banking sectors. She worked her way up the banking system – from a teller to a mortgage officer and finally a branch manager – and was most recently the Executive Director of the Alberta Real Estate Foundation. She has also worked for the Alberta Government in the Treasury Department and has managed her own financial services company.

Before her election, Gael was big into volunteerism and charity organizations. She was the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Calgary Community Lottery Board, and has been on the board for the YWCA, Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations, the Calgary Community Land Trust and the Beddington Community Association.

Gael is a strong advocate for affordable housing, and was recently elected to Chair of the Calgary Housing Company. She’s also been encouraging community walkabouts: walking tours led by residents around their communities to highlight concerns and get better dialogue going.

Gael currently serves on:

Ward 4 Details

In the most recent civic census, Ward 4 was the only ward in Calgary to see a reduction in population, losing over 900 residents. Nearly half of Ward 4’s communities saw a loss in residents, with only Country Hills and Highland Park seeing any growth (and negligible at that). However, Ward 4 still has the second largest population in Calgary, after the neighbouring Ward 3.

Most of Ward 4’s demographics adhere to the City’s averages, such as a 65% employment rate, an average of 2.5 people per household and 74% home ownership.

Where Ward 4’s demographics do vary from the norm, however, is in vacancy rates. Ward 4 has higher than average vacancy rates for Duplexes, Apartments and Converted Units; and a huge 17% vacancy rate for multiplexes – over 3 times greater than the municipal average. Considering the decline in population, perhaps that’s not completely surprising.

Explore more Ward 4 Demographics here.

As new census data is published over the coming months, check back at VoteCalgary.ca to keep up to date.

Stay tuned next week to find out what’s happening in Ward 4.

You may have heard about the need for a new deal for cities, one that presents the municipality with the ability to not only keep more of the property tax it currently collects but also to potentially tap other funding sources to meet its financial obligations for services delivery and infrastructure investment.

As illustrated by the recent Council discussions on potential changes to the property tax rate in order to accommodate the Provincial government’s increased portion, a consistent, reliable source of funding (in good times and bad) is critical in order for municipalities to plan efficiently, set goals and execute timely decisions.

This week’s ward profile brings us to Southwest Calgary’s Ward 13 and Alderman Diane Colley-Urquhart.

Ward 13 is the most Southwesterly ward in Calgary, home to part of Fish Creek Park and bordering Ward 14 to the East and the Tsuu T’ina Reserve to the West. Despite having the fewest number of communities within it, Ward 13 is still home to the 4th largest population in Calgary.

This week, we bring you the second part of our Ward 6 profile. Read Ward 6 Part 1 to get up to speed.

What's Happening in Ward 6?

West LRT Extension: Since construction began in February 2010, the long-awaited West LRT has had a major impact on daily life – and traffic conditions – in Ward 6. With new interchanges, tunnels, bridges and trenches, 6 new stations (including Calgary’s first underground station), 8 km of new track and a 1.5 km elevated guideway leaving downtown, the $1.4 billion project is one of the largest construction endeavors in Canada. Calgarians are looking forward to the project’s completion, scheduled for spring 2013.

This week’s ward profile brings us to West Calgary’s Ward 6 and Alderman Richard Pootmans.

Ward 6, located on Calgary’s Western edge, is one of the faster growing wards in Calgary. As the home of the new West LRT extension, the Ward has been “under construction” for several years and residents are looking forward to enjoying a much easier commute in the near future.

Ward 6 contains the existing communities of Christie Park, Coach Hill, Cougar Ridge, Discovery Ridge, Glamorgan, Glenbrook, Glendale, Patterson, Signal Hill, Springbank Hill, Strathcona Park, West Springs and the new community of Aspen Woods, planned for 2,262 new homes, as well as The Landings in Cougar Ridge, a 66-unit multi-family development under construction.

The Alderman | Richard Pootmans

Richard Pootmans has been serving Ward 6 as Alderman since October 2010. Richard was raised in Ottawa, but moved to Calgary in 1979. As the former Senior Business Development Manager of Calgary Economic Development (which earned him a handful of awards) and with an MBA in Finance and Marketing, Richard is well versed in finance. He has acted as a Financial Analyst, Financial Management Consultant and an Instructor at the UofC Haskayne School of Business, to name a few roles.

During his campaign, Richard identified his major areas of focus as increasing and ensuring Public Safety, creating livable communities and developing Ward 6’s transportation options. With a variety of new and established communities with different needs, and with the West LRT extension piercing into the heart of Ward 6, it seems Richard hit the right buttons with his constituents.

Richard currently serves on:

Ward 6 Details

Considering Ward 6 is the fourth fastest growing Ward in the city, there aren’t as many brand new families as one would expect. In fact, it would seem the population is made up of more established families. The population of Ward 6 tends towards an older demographic, with the largest population aged 35-54 rather than the 25-44 range of most other wards. Most of the children in Ward 6 are aged 5-14.

For the majority of census data, Ward 6 tends toward the averages, varying only slightly in most census statistics. But while this may portray Ward 6 as a “standard” ward, a closer look at the numbers paints a different picture.

Generally speaking, the Ward is divided into East and West. Lower-income, established communities such as Glamorgan and Glenbrook are located to the East and have experienced higher crime rates. In contrast, high-income, quickly growing new communities such as Discovery Ridge and Springbank Hill are located to the West.

On the extreme ends, 55.9% of Glamorgan’s residents are considered “low-income”, while Discovery Ridge has 0% low-income residents.

Explore more Ward 6 Demographics here.

As new census data is published over the coming months, check back at VoteCalgary.ca to keep up to date.

Stay tuned next week to find out what’s happening in Ward 6.