2014 Civic Census

[DizzyEdge]

So basically any town or city outside of Calgary gets water from Calgary unless they happen to be by a river which is big enough to support their population like Cochrane.

Also seeing that Okotoks is looking to expand to 80k+ I'm curious if another village/small town might develop for those who moved to Okotoks not looking to be in a city.

[speedog]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

So basically any town or city outside of Calgary gets water from Calgary unless they happen to be by a river which is big enough to support their population like Cochrane.

Also seeing that Okotoks is looking to expand to 80k+ I'm curious if another village/small town might develop for those who moved to Okotoks not looking to be in a city.

Langdon may not.

[Chadillaccc]

I'm curious to know if Okotoks' growth plan includes it sprawling towards Calgary, or to the south. I noticed in one future development map that the entire corridor between Okotoks and High River is planned for industrial development, so signs point to south.

[fusili]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

I'm curious to know if Okotoks' growth plan includes it sprawling towards Calgary, or to the south. I noticed in one future development map that the entire corridor between Okotoks and High River is planned for industrial development, so signs point to south.

Okotoks is hilarious. They are all up in arms about Windwalk, a suburban community built on their edge, but in the MD of Foothills. Guess they don't like the idea of people using the services in their town, but not paying into their tax base. Sounds familiar?


But yes, there is planned rural industrial development all along the 2A. Cargill has a big plant there, and there are some other large industrial uses (Sprung has their manufacturing facility there). I believe there is a sewer and water line along there, but I don't know where the sewer is treated.

[Chadillaccc]

Originally Posted by fusili

Okotoks is hilarious. They are all up in arms about Windwalk, a suburban community built on their edge, but in the MD of Foothills. Guess they don't like the idea of people using the services in their town, but not paying into their tax base. Sounds familiar?


But yes, there is planned rural industrial development all along the 2A. Cargill has a big plant there, and there are some other large industrial uses (Sprung has their manufacturing facility there). I believe there is a sewer and water line along there, but I don't know where the sewer is treated.

That is awful. I am beginning to understand why Calgary is so vehement about the Unicity strategy. It is too bad that, with the distance between Calgary and Okotoks, they will likely never be able to be annexed. Especially if Okotoks keeps growing to the south instead of north.

[Surrealplaces]

I'm happy with with the current population of the Beltline as it is already a very strong urban neighbourhood.... a few thousand more would be nice in order to get some larger retailsers and services, but other than that it's a very solid urban neighbourhood. I'd like to see more development around Kensington, Ingelwood, Bridgeland, etc.. and some of corridors like Centre Street and Edmonton Trail.

[fusili]

Originally Posted by Surrealplaces

I'm happy with with the current population of the Beltline as it is already a very strong urban neighbourhood.... a few thousand more would be nice in order to get some larger retailsers and services, but other than that it's a very solid urban neighbourhood. I'd like to see more development around Kensington, Ingelwood, Bridgeland, etc.. and some of corridors like Centre Street and Edmonton Trail.

You will. Some communities that are dark horses are places like Mount Pleasant or Killarney. Lots of infill happening there, and in Mount Pleasant there is a small amount of 4-storey mid rises happening on 17th avenue, which should start a bit of a revitalization of 16th avenue.

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by fusili

Okotoks is hilarious. They are all up in arms about Windwalk, a suburban community built on their edge, but in the MD of Foothills. Guess they don't like the idea of people using the services in their town, but not paying into their tax base. Sounds familiar?

Isn't that the community Mike Holmes was doing?

[fusili]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

Isn't that the community Mike Holmes was doing?

Yes.

[Surrealplaces]

Originally Posted by fusili

You will. Some communities that are dark horses are places like Mount Pleasant or Killarney. Lots of infill happening there, and in Mount Pleasant there is a small amount of 4-storey mid rises happening on 17th avenue, which should start a bit of a revitalization of 16th avenue.

I also like what's been happening up at the top of the hill at Edmonton Trail...whatever area that is. Some good density building up in that area.

[MasterG]

Originally Posted by Surrealplaces

I also like what's been happening up at the top of the hill at Edmonton Trail...whatever area that is. Some good density building up in that area.

Renfrew, it is the most surprising area (or at least the one I keep forgetting about) with density increases. Good density going up in many places.

I would love to see the day where the Beltline has similar friends to help lead the vanguard in urban issues. Many other communities play a part, but a few dark-horses with strong pro-density policies would help out a lot.

I am most excited about the new nodes forming in a few places. Refrew is a good one, but areas like Britannia Plaza, Brentwood, Currie Barracks, other TODs, West Hillhurst etc. are most exciting as it is the first sign of urban change being pushed out into new areas that aren't traditionally very urban.

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by fusili

Okotoks is hilarious. They are all up in arms about Windwalk, a suburban community built on their edge, but in the MD of Foothills. Guess they don't like the idea of people using the services in their town, but not paying into their tax base. Sounds familiar?


But yes, there is planned rural industrial development all along the 2A. Cargill has a big plant there, and there are some other large industrial uses (Sprung has their manufacturing facility there). I believe there is a sewer and water line along there, but I don't know where the sewer is treated.

At least Okotoks is inside the CRP:

Meanwhile, the Town of Okotoks continues to have concerns about the development.
The Town of Okotoks has asked the MD postpone its decision on Wind Walk until after Okotoks’ annexation application is completed and submitted to the provincial government this fall.
“We feel it’s in the best interests of our region to wait,” Okotoks Coun. Tanya Thorne told MD councillors on June 12.
She the Town has dropped its former population cap since the Wind Walk development was first proposed and land along the Highway 7 corridor is an important part of its growth plans.
Okotoks community planner Steve Hanhart said the Town is looking at a pipeline to Calgary to serve the community and the region. He said building a pipeline from the Highwood isn’t a good use of public or developer’s money and would end up duplicating services.
Spilak said the project has faced many delays, many of which were caused by the Town of Okotoks, and the MD doesn’t want to wait any longer.
As for a pipeline from Calgary, he said it wouldn’t benefit the MD, because the city won’t provide water to developments with densities lower than eight to 10 units per acre.
“We’re not interested in doing development that has those types of densities,” he said.
On the other hand, he said the plan proposed by Wind Walk’s developers would significantly benefit the MD.

[mersar]

Originally Posted by speedog

Langdon may not.

Correct, Langdon has its own treatment and waste water plant.

[Chadillaccc]

Looks like Calgary is in for another record growth year next year, possibly!


Housing starts to hit 8-year high
BY JOSH SKAPIN, CALGARY HERALD | AUGUST 15, 2014

Housing starts in the Calgary area this year are expected to be the highest in eight years, a federal agency says.

By the end of 2014, 15,600 homes of all kinds should break ground in the Calgary census metropolitan area. That’s a 24 per cent jump from the 12,584 starts last year, says Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. The census metropolitan area includes activity in surrounding cities and towns, such as Airdrie, Cochrane and Chestermere.

This year’s forecast for the Calgary area tops all urban centres in Alberta. Next highest is the Edmonton area with 13,300 starts. For the provincial capital, this is a 10 per cent drop from 14,689 starts in 2013. CMHC’s forecast puts the Calgary area at its most starts since 2006, when 17,046 broke ground.

“Looking at 2014, we’re seeing strong employment growth, net migration is going to come down a little bit but remain elevated compared to previous years,” says Richard Cho, CMHC senior market analyst.

Multi-family housing is expected to lead the upturn in new construction of homes in the Calgary area this year. CMHC expects soil will turn on 9,000 multi-family units by the end of 2014, marking a

45 per cent difference from the 6,182 starts in 2013.

At the same time, construction starts for single-family homes are expected to rise three per cent.

There should be 6,600 new single-family home builds by the end of this year, up from 6,402 a year ago.

In 2015, construction starts on a variety of home types in the Calgary area are expected to ease to 14,400. This would be the second highest, behind the 2014 mark, since 2006.

Full story: http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Housing+starts+year+high/10122609/story.html




This is absolutely excellent news for the inner city! Over 9000 multi-family units started construction this year alone!

[lubicon]

I really wish they would stop reporting only the absolute number of housing starts. It's a meaningless number unless you have something to reference it to such as the size of the city. A better indication of activity which would allow better year to year comparisons would be something like housing starts per 100 000 people. As the city grows the number or starts should also naturally grow but that doesn't tell you if the market is climbing or declining. You need a baseline to reference.

[Chadillaccc]

At a population of approx. 1.4 million as of this year (not including Okotoks, et al. of course), that works out to approx. 1100 housing starts per 100 000.

[lubicon]

Thanks Chad. We just need those same numbers from years past so we can actually see the trend.

[Chadillaccc]

Sorry to dig up this old thread, but I'd like to hear some opinions on this. I just estimated Calgary's 2014 CMA population at 1 425 000, up 60 000 from last year's 1 365 000.

I made such a seemingly high estimate because, as most of you know, Calgary recorded record growth this past year. Based on the fact that we also registered record growth last year in the city, and with a CMA growth of 57 000 (according to StatCan estimates), I thought 60 000 for this year would be apt.

However, last year Airdrie didn't show record growth, but this year they did... so perhaps my estimate is actually a couple thousand short? Anyone with more statistical knowledge/analytical powers wanna help me with this? Could StatCan's estimate of 57 000 for last year have been way off the mark (too high)?

[Blader]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

Sorry to dig up this old thread, but I'd like to hear some opinions on this. I just estimated Calgary's 2014 CMA population at 1 425 000, up 60 000 from last year's 1 365 000.

I made such a seemingly high estimate because, as most of you know, Calgary recorded record growth this past year. Based on the fact that we also registered record growth last year in the city, and with a CMA growth of 57 000 (according to StatCan estimates), I thought 60 000 for this year would be apt.

However, last year Airdrie didn't show record growth, but this year they did... so perhaps my estimate is actually a couple thousand short? Anyone with more statistical knowledge/analytical powers wanna help me with this? Could StatCan's estimate of 57 000 for last year have been way off the mark (too high)?

You're not gonna like my analysis, Chad.
Since statcan has revised their July 1, 2013 numbers for Alberta down by 17,874, I expect Calgarys numbers to be reduced by 41.1% (7,346) to 1,357,481 when the CMA numbers are released in early 2015.

Albertas year over year growth to July 1, 2014 is 114,493 and Calgarys percentage at 41.1% yields 47,056, thus Calgarys population is 1,404,537.

[Chadillaccc]

I see! Thank you for that analysis. That looks reasonable and is still incredible. As long as we're past 1.4 million