Airdrie Minute: Issue 73

Airdrie Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Airdrie politics

📅 This Week In Airdrie: 📅

• A recently painted veterans crosswalk outside the Royal Canadian Legion has suffered minor damage, prompting an ongoing investigation. The RCMP received a complaint on August 13th and observed the damage, but could not reach the complainant, so the matter was handed over to Airdrie Municipal Enforcement. City roads staff cleaned the crosswalk and recorded the damage, noting it was beyond routine wear. The City is working to preserve and, if necessary, repair the crosswalk. The investigation is being coordinated closely between municipal enforcement and the RCMP. Both veterans crosswalks, one near Field of Valour Park and one at the Gapyeong War Memorial, were completed earlier this month.
  
  
• Design work has started on Airdrie’s largest-ever provincial infrastructure project - a $114-million wastewater expansion that includes a seven-kilometre pipeline connecting to Calgary’s treatment system. Alberta is contributing $50 million, with the City covering the remainder through municipal debt and developer levies. Officials say no property tax or utility rate increases are expected. The project will support the city’s rapid growth - more than 25% since 2022, with a population now over 90,000 - enabling up to 45,000 new housing units across recently annexed land. A City-commissioned study estimates the pipeline could generate nearly $46 billion in long-term economic benefits, supporting thousands of direct construction, commercial, and industrial jobs. Design is expected to be completed by mid-2026, with ownership and maintenance responsibilities split between Airdrie and Calgary. Calgary and Airdrie have collaborated on regional servicing since the 1970s, with a Master Servicing Agreement ensuring capacity planning and cost-sharing. Officials emphasize that the expansion leverages existing regional infrastructure, avoiding the need for a standalone treatment facility and reducing long-term costs.
  
  
• Airdrie recorded the third-lowest per-person municipal spending among Alberta’s major municipalities in 2023, according to a Fraser Institute study. The City spent $2,187 per resident, ranking only above Cochrane and Chestermere, and was one of five municipalities to cut inflation-adjusted spending between 2009 and 2023. Over that period, Airdrie’s per-person spending fell by 2.1%. The city’s population more than doubled to 83,925 during the same timeframe, making it one of Alberta’s fastest-growing communities.
  
  
• Rocky View Schools (RVS) is hosting “My First Ride” events in Airdrie on August 27th and 28th to help first-time school bus riders and their families become familiar with bus safety and procedures. The free events at the RVS Education Centre will include staff and bus contractors answering questions, demonstrating safe riding practices, and preparing students for the school year. RVS transports nearly 13,500 students across 324 routes. The program allows students to practice boarding and exiting the bus safely, participate in a short bus ride, watch a safety video, and experience an emergency evacuation. Similar events are being run in other Central Alberta communities.
  
  
• Mo Fahad Shaukat is running for Council, emphasizing that the city’s rapid growth should not outpace essential services like transit, schools, healthcare, and affordable housing. He supports delaying some developments until infrastructure and community supports are in place, arguing that unchecked growth can frustrate residents and erode trust. A retired first responder and Chair of the Airdrie Police Committee, Shaukat stresses public safety, transparency, and more meaningful resident consultation in Council decisions. He highlights the importance of mental health support for both City employees and elected officials to maintain effective governance. Shaukat also notes the need for City involvement in provincial decisions, such as hospitals, to influence outcomes locally. 
   

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

A lot of people have been asking about what Common Sense Airdrie is doing for the upcoming municipal election.

We plan to survey all Mayor and Councillor candidates and share that information closer to the vote.

In the meantime, you can see who is running by visiting the City's website.

Keep in mind, the list won’t be final until nominations close on September 22nd.

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

This week's sponsor is you! We don't have big corporate backers, so if you like what you're reading, please consider making a donation or signing up as a monthly member.

Having said that, if you are a local business and are interested in being a sponsor, send us an email and we'll talk!