Taxes
Collaboration through Invest Greater Calgary, the Province and Federal Government during the current recession is more important than ever. The bottom line is that we have to do more with less funding until the economy turns the corner. We need to scrutinize each expenditure. I propose zero based budgeting. Unfortunately the cost to purchase capital equipment including Fire Trucks has been impacted significantly by the retaliatory Tariffs on sole sourced equipment manufactured in the United States. This has to be taken account during budget deliberations.
Improved, Integrated Transit within the Calgary Region
The Province's Passenger Rail Masterplan has not been released at this time. There is a provision for a commuter rail link from Airdrie to Calgary, comparable to Go Train in Southern Ontario and West Coast Express in the Greater Vancouver Region. Airdrie needs to secure a suitable transportation hub. One location may be the South Transit Terminal on Main Street, which is adjacent to CPKC Right of Way.
Attraction of a Privately Funded Entertainment - Convention venue.
I am originally from Penticton BC. My grandfather worked at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre. In Fact, my graduation ceremony was conducted there. The convention hall is 29,000 sq ft, it can accommodate 650 patrons with trade show booths. It has hosted art shows, conferences and entertainment since its inception in 1965, as Canada's first full service convention center. The venue is 60,000 sq feet including break out rooms. Penticton's population was under 30,000 in 1975. The Town and Country Center was built in the 1970s and is 1/5 the size of the Penticton Trade and Convention Center. Airdrie, due to its proximity to Calgary International Airport and access to Highway 2 is in a position to attract $100 million - a year into its economy based on a economic impact report released in 2025 on the impact of meetings and convention impact to the Penticton economy.
The lack of affordable community space negatively affects charities. The Over 50 Club with nearly 500 members and other charitable groups are detrimentally affected by the significant increase in monthly utility, insurance, lease payments & annual taxes. By attracting a privately funded convention facility, the taxes raised by the events will help Airdrie invest in community resources as the city grows.
Health Care in Airdrie
In April 2023 I penned an article " Hospital Funds should have been Prioritized over the provincial pledge to build the $148 million Balzac interchange."
The region's priorities are not in alignment with Airdrie's need to offer first class physical and mental health facilities. Airdrie is the largest city in Canada without a hospital.
The North Calgary Health Center continues to be in the planning stage ... in fact planning has been ongoing for 2 decades with no shovels in the ground. This is unacceptable.
A regional hospital is a "must have" in Airdrie. The initial construction takes 3 years to build, based on the expansion of Kelowna General Hospital a decade ago which cost $433 million. Thus, the deferral of 1 interchange may help fund up to 1/3 of a cooperative community hospital in Airdrie. Which other "nice to haves" may be deferred to fund a hospital in Airdrie?
Logan Health in Kalispell Montana has 150 beds serving a population in Flathead Valley of 114,000. Research conducted by ASU suggests that Airdrie requires a similar sized facility. Wait times have increased in Canada directly attributed to the precipitous drop from 6.8 beds to only 2.6 beds per thousand Canadians from 1980 until 2020 (WHO Data). Action must be taken to take the pressure off hospitals in Calgary, by offering residents of Airdrie and surrounding region (Crossfield, etc.) a shorter drive to Emergency.
“Healthcare is not a Privilege”
Sturgeon Community Health Center in St. Albert (population of 73,000 in 2024) has 167 beds. Distance to the closest hospital in Edmonton, the Royal Alexandra hospital is only 16 km away.
Airdrie (population of 85,805 in 2024) has Zero beds and the Peter Lougheed Hospital is 29 km away. Note, during rush hour, the time to travel from Airdrie to Peter Lougheed increases substantially from 30 minutes to up to 1 hour. The Airdrie 900 bus is on schedule approximately 60% of the time. When the bus is on schedule, a transfer from Airdrie Urgent Care to Peter Lougheed takes 45 minutes. The one way cost for a patient unable to drive due to a medical condition ranges from $40-80 via Uber. This cost is prohibitive for those on EI, under medical leave, etc.
Research by the UK Department of Health shows a 10-km increase in straight-line distance to the hospital is associated with around a 1% absolute increase in mortality for patients with potentially life-threatening conditions traveling to emergency by ambulance.
Since I moved to Airdrie with my family in 2005, health care services have deteriorated to a point that a drive to Diamond Valley or Didsbury offers a better outcome and lower wait times than at Airdrie Urgent Care. Although Health Care is the responsibility of the province, it is clearly evident that a new service model must be exercised.
I ask you to watch this interview from Chris Glass's "Airdrie - Inside" podcast with Michelle Bates, co-founder of Airdrie Health Foundation that was aired in mid-September on the Airdrie-Inside YouTube channel.
Given the gravity of the situation, this will be my focus during my tenure as Mayor.
Sincerely,
Vern Raincock
587-503-5555 o
engage@connectingcommunities.us
