Finding affordable housing in the Bow Valley is one of the most challenging issues facing residents. According to the most recent Bow Valley labour market review, the average one bedroom home costs $1,528 in Banff and $1,422 in Canmore. What would your party do to help address housing affordability in our communities?
Miranda Rosin – United Conservative Party
A United Conservative government will be committed to standing up for Alberta by ensuring we get a fair deal for this province within the Canadian federation. Access to affordable housing for Albertans is a key component of this commitment.
Under Justin Trudeau, the federal Liberals have made the cost of buying a home more difficult for both existing and new homebuyers with the updated CMHC stress-test. This test often prohibits prospective new homebuyers from meeting the requirements to purchase a first home, or from being able to qualify for an acceptable mortgage.
A United Conservative government will work with other jurisdictions to achieve regional exemptions to this federal stress-test so that we can empower Albertans to make this great province their forever home.
Brenda Standon – Alberta Party
The first step is to review the current thresholds and point system for the rent subsidy program within the Affordable Housing Act, as I do not believe they make sense for the Bow Valley. Second, work with the Bow Valley communities to create more of a valley-wide strategy based on the Community Housing Affordability Collective model in Calgary, who look at and have members representing the entire housing continuum.
Recognizing that the uniqueness of Banff and Canmore is land and that the municipal governments are accountable to their own taxpayers, the base funding for a regional approach would come from the proposed tourism district policy I have presented to the Alberta Party, which would provide a good base to apply for any provincial and federal grants that have been made available for affordable housing.
Cam Westhead – Alberta NDP
Rachel Notley and I believe that everyone deserves a safe, affordable place to call home. Our $1.2 billion Provincial Affordable Housing Strategy sets a path for a sustainable, affordable housing system.
While the UCP fought us every step of the way, we invested tax dollars with housing management bodies to fund:
• 120 units in Phases 1 and 2 of the Bow River Seniors Lodge expansion, including 60 units capable of providing dementia care.
• 131 units for individuals and families in Banff’s Ti’nu housing complex.
• 33 units for the Banff YWCA’s Courtyard Project.
There’s more work still to do, and our plan is to continue working with organizations such as the Banff YWCA and Bow Valley Regional Housing to ensure people can afford to live here. This model puts affordable housing on sound financial and environmental footing, and Albertans benefit when housing providers are given reliable funding like this.
For more than two decades the communities of Banff and Canmore have been lobbying the provincial government to be given special status and additional revenue tools to help support their tourism-based economies, however consecutive provincial governments have failed to address this issue. A report published in 2016 found that visitor spending results in an annual economic impact of $2.46-billion and $756-million in tax revenue, however 97 per cent of the tax revenue goes to provincial and federal government coffers. If you are elected what will you do to help our communities support their tourism-based economies?
Miranda Rosin – UCP
We are blessed to live in one of the most beautiful places in Canada, but that beauty does come with a price. The conversation around a revenue-generating tool that tourism municipalities could utilize is one that I would be happy to have with affected stakeholders after the election.
Alberta’s struggling economy has also had an effect on our local tourism economy, as many visitors cannot afford to spend as lucratively as they once could. A diminished level of consumer confidence, coupled with the NDP’s damaging and costly business policies, have had a devastating effect on our small business owners.
To re-strengthen our struggling small business community, we will revisit the changes made to how holiday pay is calculated; the added cost of the carbon tax; and the extensive regulatory and red-tape burden placed on small business.
Brenda Stanton – Alberta Party
I have presented policy to the Alberta Party to change the Municipal Government Act to provide opportunity for communities across the province to apply to become a tourism district with regulations similar to a business improvement area with the province having final budget approval; ensuring the intent of the designation is being met.
No more than half of the monies could be used for municipal infrastructure cost. Creating a product throughout the province would alleviate some of the pressures in our mountain communities.
For Banff and Canmore my recommendation would be to eliminate the existing tourism improvement fee and destination marketing fees that are charged, create a five per cent tourism district fee with two per cent going to marketing, two per cent to municipal infrastructure and one per cent to a regional housing plan.
Current taxes being collected need to be reinvested in tourism and culture for new job creation and product development outside of the mountain areas.
Cam Westhead – NDP
As a booster of resort communities, I’m supportive of any policy tool that makes them more complete and resilient, especially those that support tourism-based economies. However, there isn’t broad agreement on what this might look like yet.
As a consensus builder, I’ve worked closely with the Towns of Canmore and Banff to bring all relevant ministers to the Bow Valley to meet directly with municipal officials and industry stakeholders.
As we continue working together to find agreement, and despite the protests of the UCP, our government has supported tourism municipalities through other programs, such as:
• $16 million towards Roam Transit.
• $25 million towards affordable housing.
• Stable and predictable municipal transfers through the Municipal Sustainability Initiative.
• $18 million to replace the Kananaskis Emergency Services Centre.
If re-elected, I commit to continuing this work to reach a common vision that all stakeholders can support.
According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, two of the costliest natural disasters in Canadian history have occurred in Alberta, including the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfires and the 2013 Southern Alberta floods that caused extensive damage throughout the Bow Valley. Climate scientists predict we will see more extreme weather events as the impact of human-caused climate change continues to take hold. If your party is elected what will you do limit the province’s greenhouse gas emissions and prepare communities for the impact caused by climate change?
MIranda Rosin – UCP
Protecting the planet we live on and are privileged to call home is of the utmost importance to the United Conservatives. Unlike the NDP, we do not believe that taxing families for heating their homes, buying groceries, or commuting to work from rural areas is, in any way, the correct way to combat our greenhouse gas emissions.
Over the days ahead we will be unveiling our plan to ensure the development of our bountiful natural resources is done in the most environmentally sustainable way possible.
We have also been very clear that a UCP government will make flood mitigation a priority. It is no doubt that many residents in the Bow Valley were significantly impacted by the 2013 flood, and it is incumbent upon government to ensure that the right flood mitigation projects are built without delay.
Brenda Stanton – Alberta Party
First of all, the province must collaborate more with the federal government to ensure there are funds available for more capital investments to mitigate disasters due to climate change, drought, flooding and wildfires, which should alleviate the expenses of the disaster relief fund.
Specific to greenhouse gas emissions, the Alberta Party Caucus 2018-19 shadow budget proposes to exempt homes, businesses, farms and non-profits from the carbon tax.
Revenues would be off-set by cuts to personal and corporate income taxes. The rebate system would be fixed so that the genuinely disadvantaged would get rebates, whereas currently almost two thirds of Albertans receive them. Finally, any excess revenues would be applied directly to the provincial debt, instead of being directed to general revenues.
Cam Westhead – Alberta NDP
Human-caused climate change is real. While the UCP embraces candidates who deny this reality and threatens to roll back the clock on the progress we’ve made, our made-in-Alberta Climate Leadership Plan is diversifying our economy, creating jobs, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Key aspects include:
• Putting a price on climate change pollution
• Ending dirty coal-generated electricity by 2030
• Creating residential, commercial, non-profit, and Indigenous energy efficiency programs
• Targeting 30 per cent renewable energy by 2030
• Capping oilsands emissions to 100 megatonnes
• Reducing methane emissions by 45 per cent by 2025
Our plan is working. We’re seeing success in job creation, emissions reductions, and investments in innovation, energy efficiency, and renewables.
A price on carbon is the most cost-effective and market-based way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while rebates to 60 per cent of households protect low- and middle-income Albertans. Rebate or not, those who emit less pay less.
Finding appropriate and affordable childcare is one of the most challenging issues facing parents in the Bow Valley. What is your party’s plan to address this issue?
Miranda Rosin – UCP
The United Conservatives strongly believe that supporting families is an important tenet of a successful economy. We recognize that rising costs for parents remains an issue for many families and often prevents parents from re-entering the workforce.
We are focusing on a multitude of measures to drive down these costs, and will have more to say on child-care specific policy in the days ahead.
Brenda Stanton – Alberta Party
The Alberta Party was first out of the gate with our first election policy being around affordable childcare and incenting creating more spaces.
Specifically, we would create a voucher system, which would follow the child, providing parents with choices. The amount a household pays is based on household income ranging from a cost of $0 per day for income up to $29,999 to $30 per day max for household incomes up to $110,000.
In addition, licensed day homes will be included in the voucher system; providing parents with alternatives for childcare, providing incentive for existing day-homes to become licensed, and providing opportunity for budding entrepreneurs to consider creating a licensed day home as they will have an even playing field with daycare centres. In addition, there will be an investment credit established to encourage employers to create licensed childcare spaces for children of employees.
Cam Westhead – Alberta NDP
Families shouldn’t have to choose between groceries and childcare, so we created a pilot project of 7,300, $25 a day childcare spaces across Alberta, including 40 in Banff and 90 in Canmore.
Alberta has the largest workforce participation gender gap in Canada. Estimates show that the expansion of our $25 a day childcare pilot program would increase employment and add $5.95 billion a year to our GDP.
On Monday (March 25), we announced our plan to allow more parents to join the workforce by capping childcare fees at $25 a day and adding 13,000 more spaces across Alberta.
While Jason Kenney says he “personally believes children need a parent at home,” I say that wherever you work, it should be your choice and yours alone.
Finding safe, quality, affordable childcare shouldn't be a lottery – it should be something families can depend on. If re-elected, childcare will be the Medicare of the 21st century.
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