The end of another calendar year signals a time of reflection for most about the past turn around the sun.
In setting resolutions and goals for the future, many in municipal government choose to reflect on the challenges faced and accomplishments achieved in the previous 12-month period.
On that note, Airdrie’s mayor Peter Brown said 2022 was the year of “back to normal,” but with a caveat.
In the previous two calendar years, the greatest challenge for the City of Airdrie was keeping pace with ever-changing public health restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
And while 2022 saw a return to “normal,” that sense of normalcy came with considerable growth and other challenges, according to Brown.
“We’ve had incredible growth both on the new development side and also on our wellness centre passes and other City facilities,” he noted in an end-of-year interview with the Airdrie City View. “That’s been quite amazing to watch.”
Brown added 2022 was a record-setting year for Genesis Place pass-holders, with more registrations than any year before. The municipality has also seen an increase in demand for local emergency services, burdened by a shortfall of ambulance coverage and staffing levels.
“[Local emergency services] have done a phenomenal job [servicing the community], our crime index has come down across the board, which is really nice to see,” he added.
Though the municipality is managing to accommodate the growth seen in the previous year, supported by City-led initiatives and resident generosity (including a hefty donation to the Airdrie Fire Department to better equip emergency services), Brown said ongoing growth will continue to be a challenge for the City in 2023.
“Obviously, as we grow as quickly as we have, keeping pace with growth has been our biggest challenge since I’ve been here,” he said. “We had a bit of a lull through COVID, but it’s back to normal again.
“I don’t know what our numbers are going to be for next year, but I would think they’d be pretty high.”
With pandemic-related challenges in the rearview mirror, Brown said the municipality has a lot of exciting projects coming down the pipeline to better serve the growing city, including the 40 Avenue highway bridge and overpass, which is on track and on budget to reach completion next fall.
Other capital projects in the works include a new regional park in northeast Airdrie which is poised to be constructed on a 160-acres plot of land, as well as the much-anticipated multi-use facility and library that will be situated in place of the old firehall on Main Street in 2025.
He added the City’s priority is to get the needed infrastructure in place or underway, as well as some “pretty significant” water and wastewater projects, and road connections that need to be constructed as Airdrie continues to grow.
“We need to make certain that our transit system is meeting the expectations of our residents, that we’re building in the right way,” he said.
According to Brown, an additional challenge faced by the municipality has been ensuring residents have access to affordable housing and senior accommodation – a crisis made worse by a lack of provincial funding, he argued.
“You’re seeing dollars being invested in other communities, and so I think the challenge has been getting the province to recognize what an important community Airdrie is… as far as economic development,” Brown stated.
“Now, I get a sense that we’re certainly being recognized as the fifth-largest community in Alberta and we continue to grow these great rates – we need their help, especially for those infrastructure projects.”
Brown said other goals of the municipality are to create more opportunities for employment, to help expand the non-residential tax base, and bring in companies and corporations from across the globe to help create jobs in the community.
“I think we’ve got a lot of great irons in the fire and a lot of them are coming to fruition, so it’s going to be an exciting time,” Brown predicted. “I know in talking to different businesses, things are going really well and they’re anticipating good stuff for next year.”
According to Brown, Alberta is the place to be in terms of the housing market, and Airdrie is attracting people from all over the world to make it their new home.
“I think we’re going to attract a lot of great investment and a lot of great people to Alberta,” Brown said. “We’re seeing it here in Airdrie. I’m seeing people from all over the country and all over the world making it home – it's quite incredible.”
Looking back at the previous year’s accomplishments, Brown said the municipality spearheaded the redesign of the historic water tower and the launch of a successful e-scooter pilot project in the city.
He added the municipality also hired a new chief administrative officer, and built a newer and fully operational website to better serve the community.
City council was also successful in lobbying the province for additional doctors and nurses at Airdrie Urgent Care Centre following its temporary reduced hours last summer.
The City has also pushed for downtown revitalization through its economic development department that led the SMARTstart mentorship program.
“That program continues to be very successful, and on the arts and culture front, we pulled together an assessment committee that’s coming back to council in the new year, so that’s exciting,” he said.
City-led cultural events that took place in 2022 included airdrieFEST, an Indigenous pipe ceremony and teepee-raising, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation events, and the inaugural Homecoming Festival.
Brown noted that while Airdrie residents enjoyed a return to normalcy and in-person events, many also faced a tough year financially amid sky-high inflation. In light of that, community organizations such as the Airdrie Food Bank, Community Links, and Airdrie 1st Club stepped up to help out Airdronians in need.
“When I see the amount of generosity that’s pouring out from different community groups and different individuals to help these people out, it’s quite extraordinary,” he said. “The amount of generosity that's been given out in 2022 to help all those people through these tough times, I just want to say sincere thanks."
He said the outpouring of generosity gives him a sense of hopefulness for the future, along with measures being taken on a Provincial level to help make things more affordable.
“We're not the city we are without that underpinning of generosity that just exists all the time,” he said. “That would be my highlight for 2022 – the outpouring of generosity from all these different individuals and organizations.”
