Building a Better Economy for Families
Right now, Airdrie can be considered a “bedroom community” because 87% of our land is zoned for residential and only 13% is commercial or industrial. By comparison, Calgary draws about 22% of its tax base from industrial lands alone.
This imbalance costs us twice. It limits the city’s tax revenue, and it forces most Airdronians to commute to Calgary (or elsewhere) for work. Every day, families lose hours in traffic that should be spent at home, and too much of our paychecks are burned on gas just to get to a job.
Our demographics tell the same story. Kids grow up here, but many leave once they graduate high school. StatsCan shows a clear demographic hole of young adults between the ages of 18 and 29. Housing for students is also getting costly, and the reality of needing to stay home while attending a campus is becoming more critical.
It does not have to stay this way. We can build a stronger, fairer economy right here in Airdrie.
That means:
- Attracting new industries and employers so residents can find quality jobs without leaving the city, while also creating job opportunities for teens and young adults so they can build their futures here instead of moving away.
- Expanding our tax base with business and industrial growth so the burden no longer falls unfairly on homeowners, and so local businesses are not stuck facing high lease rates caused by low vacancy. More balanced zoning will make doing business more affordable for everyone.
- Leveraging the new Invest Greater Calgary pilot project to bring investment, jobs, and opportunity directly into Airdrie.
- Exploring ways to reduce or eliminate business license fees for small businesses so local entrepreneurs can start and grow with fewer barriers.
- Advocating for a public post-secondary satellite campus that not only keeps students close to home, but also brings jobs for faculty and staff, while fueling our local economy through student housing, retail, and services.
- Driving forward the downtown redevelopment plan to create a vibrant economic engine in the heart of our city.
- Fighting for public health care services where we can affect change, while on the path to a small ‘h’ hospital that creates stable, well-paying jobs and attracts spinoff businesses like more clinics, pharmacies, and wellness providers.
Let’s stop exporting our workers, our young people, and our tax dollars. When families can work, study, and access health care here at home, everyone benefits. Less commuting means more time with kids. More opportunity here means our youth can stay, build their futures, and give people reasons to stay in Airdrie.