Airdrie Minute: Issue 92

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

📅 This Week In Airdrie: 📅

• Merry Christmas! We hope you had a wonderful day with family, friends, and food! Thank you to every single one of our readers and supporters who reached out, donated, volunteered, or shared our content this year. We appreciate every single one of you and hope you have a wonderful holiday season.
  
  
• We usually reserve these weekly updates for sharing news and analysis, but as the year comes to a close, we want to be upfront with you. Our year-end fundraising campaign is underway, with a target of $10,000 to be met by December 31st. This funding is essential to sustaining our operations and allowing us to carry our work into the new year. If you find our work valuable and want to help ensure it continues, we’d be grateful if you would consider making a contribution. Even a modest gift makes a meaningful difference. You can donate by clicking here, and we sincerely thank you for being part of this effort.
  
  
• Mayor Heather Spearman reflected on 2025 as a year of change, growth, and collaboration for both herself and Council. Elected in October, she emphasized the importance of teamwork with Council, Administration, and the community in addressing the city’s rapid population growth and housing challenges. Airdrie accounted for 42% of new residential housing starts in Alberta outside Calgary and Edmonton, requiring proactive planning and development. Key accomplishments included the opening of the Inspire library, advocacy for five new schools, and the successful approval of the 2026 budget with a 4.6% tax increase. Spearman praised her new Council for quickly learning city processes and making informed decisions. Moving forward, council plans to set three to four strategic priorities focused on managing growth, improving infrastructure, expanding health care, and attracting business.
  
  
• Premier Danielle Smith attended a meet-and-greet event in Airdrie, joined by Mayor Heather Spearman and Airdrie East MLA Angela Pitt, as well as performances from three local dance groups. Spearman highlighted the importance of provincial leaders recognizing Airdrie’s growth and diversity, and she emphasized her commitment to strengthening the city’s relationship with the provincial government. Premier Smith spoke about recent provincial initiatives, including new schools in Airdrie, a $50 million investment to upgrade the city’s wastewater system, and plans for a North Calgary–South Airdrie hospital.
  
  
• Airdrie will host its annual New Year’s Eve fireworks on December 31st, at what is intended to be a family-friendly time of 6:30 pm at Ed Eggerer Athletic Field. The 15-minute display is free for all to attend, with bleacher seating available if weather permits. Airdrie Transit will provide free, accessible shuttles from 5:30 pm to 7:15 pm, with pickup at City Hall and drop-off along East Lake Crescent. The first 100 riders will receive a light-up foam cheer stick. On-site parking at Genesis Place is limited, with overflow at Ron Ebbeson Arena. 
   

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

We’re closing out the year with a $10,000 fundraising goal to support our work moving forward.

If you find value in what we do, we’d be grateful for your support.

Every contribution helps!

🪙 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!