As a community, Canmore is at a “watershed” moment in its history when it comes to how it develops into the future and whether or not that includes all economic demographics or it becomes an exclusive town for the rich, according to Mayor John Borrow
As a community, Canmore is at a “watershed” moment in its history when it comes to how it develops into the future and whether or not that includes all economic demographics or it becomes an exclusive town for the rich, according to Mayor John Borrowman.
Borrowman called the current situation a “watershed” moment for the community during an annual speech at the Bow Valley Builders and Developers Association luncheon last week.
Specifically, the mayor said affordability and liveability are the biggest issue for Canmore moving into the future as a community and the number one priority of council is affordable housing. He pointed to the fact that Canmore was listed as the third wealthiest community in Canada in 2015 by Money Sense magazine, with an average net worth over $1 million.
“I recognize the conversation we have started in the community around affordability may not resonate with every resident and we are fortunate many people here are not struggling in that way; however, it has become increasingly evident that for many other residents, affordability is a critical issue,” Borrowman said.
“From my perspective, we are at a watershed moment with the changing nature of our community and if we are not intentional about understanding the issues and aggressive about implementing a vision for a balanced community, we will become the exclusive Rocky Mountain resort we have been decrying for decades.”
The mayor said for the last 25 years Canmore has been a leader in understanding environmental sustainability and living with wildlife and, although not complete, it is time for Canmore to put more attention as well into social sustainability. While many things affect affordability when it comes to sustainability, the most glaringly obvious factor is the cost of housing.
“This is the number one priority for council at this time and we are not unique in this way,” Borrowman said. “Cities and towns across the province and around the country are struggling with housing availability and affordability.”
As a municipality, he said, Canmore has made progress recently with changes to the Land Use Bylaw to allow visitor accommodation units along Kananaskis Way to be rented as affordable housing for a three-year term. He said council also hopes to allow more secondary suites in neighbourhoods than are currently permitted.
While he said working with provincial and federal levels of government is also key for council to move forward on addressing the issue, working with the private sector, particularly builders and developers, is also critical.
The mayor said council and the municipality are open to having conversations with the private sector on how it can make that happen.
“In working together, we will find success and keep Canmore as an inclusive community,” he said.
Spring Creek Mountain Village developer Frank Kernick said part of the issue for the private sector is that there is no official or approved policy to guide council or developers when it comes to including affordable housing in market projects, or how to provide employee housing.
Borrowman said he is appreciative of all suggestions about how to tackle the issue and noted that in its recently approved strategic plan, council put affordable housing as the number one priority.
“We have not been doing enough over the last 10 years and this strategic plan of council's, I think, signals a sea-change for the Town of Canmore,” he said.
It is a broad community conversation and Borrowman asked those at the luncheon, the building and developer sector, to become more involved and add their voices to debates occurring over things like developing the old daycare lands, adding density to Peaks of Grassi and the Municipal Development Plan.
“In order to really address this issue though, we are going to have to dig into some of the things the community is wrestling with and I am asking you all, everyone in this room, to help us elevate this conversation to a different level,” said the mayor.
“There is no one magic bullet to eliminate our affordable housing issues, we have to continue to work toward a variety of approaches and solutions.”
But part of the discussion in the community surrounds the changing of established neighbourhoods. Borrowman said there are strong emotions and significant frustrations expressed by some residents who don't feel heard on this issue.
“When there are differing opinions on how to best move forward, not everyone will see the result they prefer, but we can work together and continue to talk productively about solutions that will work for Canmore,” he said. “In 2016, council will be talking more and more about a liveable Canmore and specifically our focus on affordability. We are planning community engagement on affordability and neighbourhood character.”
